Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

UK Research and Innovation: Per Capita Costs

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2018 to Question 202141 on UK Research and Innovation: Per Capita Costs, what the same information was for (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Claire Perry: Supporting the Industrial Strategy’s ambition to raise total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. The government is increasing spending on R&D by £7bn by 2021-22. This will be the largest increase ever.The table below shows expenditure by the 9 councils that now make up UKRI, per head of population in each region and nation of the UK. The expenditure figures include Research Council and Innovate UK grants, and HEFCE/Research England’s Research Capital Investment Fund, Quality-related research (QR) funding and Higher Education Innovation FundingInnovate UK data is recorded against the address a business included on its application form, which can be a head office rather than the location of the research or innovation itself. Similarly, Research council grants are recorded against the address of the principal investigator on a project but expenditure may occur in other locations.UKRI  £ per person2010/20112011/2012East of England118109London143138Midlands5263North East66113North West5753South East111118South West5463Yorkshire and the Humber6681England8691Northern Ireland1212Scotland5464Wales2021

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

China: Carbon Emissions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on China’s environmental record and meeting carbon emission targets.

Mark Field: The Foreign Secretary discussed China's record of meeting carbon emission targets with State Councillor Wang Yi in Beijing in July. FCO officials, in particular through our Embassy in Beijing, continue to engage on this issue with their Chinese counterparts. The FCO Special Representative for Climate Change met Chinese officials during the recent climate change talks in Katowice, Poland. The British Government continues to support Chinese efforts to develop alternative energy, tackle climate change and pollution issues, and reduce carbon emissions.

China: British Nationals Abroad

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with officials of the Chinese Government on recent reports of British citizens fleeing from China.

Mark Field: We are not aware of any recent reports or cases of British nationals fleeing China. We advise British passport holders visiting China for tourism, business or work to check the FCO Travel Advice which is updated on a regular basis.​

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure compliance with the ceasefire agreed for Yemen at the Stockholm peace talks.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the outcome of talks in Stockholm hosted by the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and the determination to make progress which all parties demonstrated during those talks. We are in close touch with the UN about their plans for the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, and are ready to assist where necessary. The UK-proposed UN Security Council Resolution 2451, endorsing the outcomes of the Stockholm talks, including the ongoing ceasefire in Hodeidah, and authorising the UN to monitor implementation, was unanimously adopted on 21 December 2018.​

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the timeframe is for the next round of peace talks on Yemen.

Alistair Burt: We expect the next round of peace talks to take place in January 2019. ​

Israel: Palestinians

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps the Government has taken return the UK lawyer delegation to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to assess the military detention of Palestinian children in the absence of an offer by the Israeli Government to facilitate that contact.

Alistair Burt: The treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for the UK. We will continue to call upon Israel to improve its practices in line with international law and obligations. We have offered to help the Israeli authorities through expert-to-expert talks with UK officials. The offer still stands and we hope Israel will take us up on it. While we recognise that Israel has made some improvements, it needs to do much more to safeguard vulnerable people in its care.

Israel: Palestinians

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of Palestinian children subjected to military detention in the last five years.

Alistair Burt: ​While we have not made an overall estimate of the number of Palestinian children subjected to military detention in the last five years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual Human Rights and Democracy report routinely lists the number of minors held in Israeli military detention. According to the 2017 report, there were approximately 358 minors detained as of the end of 2017.

Israel: Palestinians

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the Government of Israel (a) ending forcible transfer in its planning policies and (b) amending planning legislation to ensure planning and construction rights for Palestinian residents in the West Bank and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: ​The UK is gravely concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate Palestinian and Bedouin populations, which the UN has said could constitute forcible transfer. We have been clear about our grave concerns with the Israeli authorities and we regularly raise the matter through our Embassy in Tel Aviv. We recognise that Palestinians face severe difficulty in securing building permissions for homes and infrastructure in East Jerusalem and Area C. We continue to urge the Israeli authorities to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

Israel: Palestinians

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will seek discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the Israeli Government's decision to restrict the ability of the Palestinian Ministry of Health to import vaccines.

Alistair Burt: We regularly raise the urgent need to ease all access and movement restrictions with Israeli authorities. The availability of some medical supplies and services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories can be restricted by Israeli security procedures. The UK Government supports a project that provides medical equipment and training to medical professionals in Gaza.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the middle east peace process of recent trends in the level of incitement and intolerance in Israel towards Palestinians and Muslims; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: ​We are gravely concerned by the ongoing and increasing violence in the West Bank. We condemn the recent terrorist attacks in the Old City of Jerusalem and in the West Bank. The continued incitement against Israel by Hamas and other actors is deeply concerning. The calls for the murder of Palestinian politicians are unacceptable. President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to non-violence and a negotiated two-state solution. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action or language that makes it more difficult to achieve a culture of peaceful coexistence and a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the viability of the UN-brokered ceasefire in Hudaydah in Yemen and the Stockholm Agreement.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the outcome of the talks convened by the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths in Stockholm, which represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of peace and stability in Yemen. However, we are acutely aware of the fragility of these agreements at this stage. Mr Griffiths has stressed the need for a robust and competent monitoring regime to ensure that the agreed ceasefire is indeed viable. The UK-proposed UN Security Council Resolution 2451, endorsing the outcomes of the Stockholm talks, including the ongoing ceasefire in Hodeidah, and authorising the UN to monitor implementation, was unanimously adopted on 21 December 2018.

Ministry of Defence

Government Departments: Military Aid

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what requests his Department has received from other Government Departments for the use of service personnel as part of (a) the Modernising Defence Programme and (b) other programmes to improve the resilience and defence of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) routinely works with other Government Departments to assure the resilience of the UK. The MOD holds forces, specialist capabilities and equipment ready to provide assistance to civil authorities if required. While programmes like the Modernising Defence Programme are used to agree the range of tasks that Defence fulfils for the Government, specific requests for Service personnel are made through the separate, routine process of cross-Government operational planning.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Disability

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on funding for universal credit roll-out and disability welfare in (a) Clackmannanshire and (b) Perth and Kinross in the constituency of Ochil and South Perthshire.

Alok Sharma: The financial model and reporting for Universal Credit roll-out and disability welfare is undertaken at a national level and we do not break these cost categories into lower level geographies, such as constituencies. We therefore do not hold the information requested.

Universal Credit: Refugees

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to refugees granted asylum that have made an application for universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Asylum Support is available to newly recognised refugees through the Home Office whilst their status is under consideration. This support continues for 28 days after refugee status is granted. A claim to Universal Credit can be made immediately once refugee status is granted and Asylum Support is not deducted from their Universal Credit award during the 28 days run on period. Work coaches receive training to help them identify and support vulnerable claimants, including refugees, and build supportive relationships with claimants to encourage them to openly discuss any barriers, concerns or problems as they emerge.Provided the eligibility criteria for Universal Credit is met, we will always offer an advance payment to a refugee when making a new claim, and staff have access to information on a range of services and support available in their local area for vulnerable claimants, including refugees. This includes Universal Support, which provides help with using online services and budgeting advice. We also have access to a range of translation services to assist, should a claimant need support to overcome any language barriers.

Universal Credit

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to increase the number of languages available on the  the universal credit online portal.

Alok Sharma: There are not currently any plans to increase the number of languages available on the online portal above English and Welsh. When we need to communicate with a claimant who cannot communicate adequately in English or Welsh we use interpreters: this can be a customer’s own interpreter; a local community based interpreting service; a telephone interpretation service or a contracted face to face interpretation service.

Motability

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the number of vehicles returned to the Motability Scheme due to negative PIP reassessments.

Sarah Newton: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 June 2018 to Question UIN 148652.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science study on the effect of electric fishing in UK waters.

George Eustice: The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) completed a desktop review on pulse technology entitled “The impacts of flatfish pulse trawling: evidence review, data gaps and future research”. The report is subject to a peer review process which is due to be completed by the end of December. The finalised report is therefore expected to be ready for publication early in the New Year. We have also commissioned some original science for future research with a study including at-sea comparisons of pulse and conventional beam trawl impacts.